Method and medical system for improved utilization of a medical appliance, and medical appliance

• US 20020128869A1
• Filed: 02/12/2002
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Kuth, Rainer
• Granted Patent: US 6,697,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/00 ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of medical references

Abstract

A method and a system for improved utilization of a medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51), having elements (14, 22, 32, 42, 52) for determining the operating status of the medical appliance, elements (14, 22, 32, 42, 52) for transmitting the operating status to a central location (70), elements (71) for determining the time during which the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51) is not used, and elements (71, 77) for notifying at least one person (13, 43, 61, 73, 81, 91, 101) when the time duration exceeds a predefined value. The invention additionally relates to a medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51) having elements (14, 22, 32, 42, 52) for determining its operating status.

Claims

1. A method for improved utilization of a medical appliance, having the following method steps:

a) registering the operating status of the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51),

b) transmitting the operating status to a central location (70),

c) on the basis of the transmitted operating status, continuously determining the time during which the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51) has not been used, and

d) notifying at least one person (13, 43, 61, 73, 81, 91, 101) when the time duration exceeds a predefined value.

2. The method for improved utilization of a medical appliance as claimed in claim 1, in which the operating status comprises statements as to whether the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51) is occupied, occupied and activated, occupied but not activated and/or not occupied.

3. The method for improved utilization of a medical appliance as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the time during which the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51) is not used corresponds to the time during which the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51) is not occupied and/or the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51) is occupied but not activated.

4. The method for improved utilization of a medical appliance as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, in which the central location (70) is assigned a database (75) in which data associated with the operating status is stored.

5. The method for improved utilization of a medical appliance as claimed in one of claims 1 to 4, in which a supervisor (73) monitors the operating status at the central location (70) and notifies the person (13, 61, 81, 91, 101) when the time during which the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51) is not used exceeds the predefined value.

6. The method for improved utilization of a medical appliance as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, in which the operating status is displayed graphically.

7. The method for improved utilization of a medical appliance as claimed in one of claims 1 to 6, in which the central location (70) is assigned an evaluation device (71), which monitors the operating status and notifies the person (21, 61, 73, 81, 91, 101) when the time during which the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51) is not used exceeds the predefined value.

8. The method for improved utilization of a medical appliance as claimed in one of claims 1 to 7, in which the person (13, 43, 81, 91, 101) is associated with a ward (80), a research department (90), an operator organization of the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51), a hospital management (100) or is an operator (13, 43) of the medical appliance (11, 41).

9. The method for improved utilization of a medical appliance as claimed in one of claims 1 to 8, in which the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51) determines its operating status automatically.

10. The method for improved utilization of a medical appliance as claimed in one of claims 1 to 9, in which the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51) is an X-ray appliance (51), a computertomograph (21), a magnetic resonance appliance (11), an ultrasound appliance (31) or a lithotripter (41).

11. A system for improved utilization of a medical appliance, comprising a first computer (14, 22, 32, 42, 52) for determining the operating status of the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51), means for transmitting the operating status to a central location (70), a second computer (71) for continuously determining the time during which the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51) has not been used, and means (71, 77) for notifying at least one person (13, 43, 61, 73, 81, 91, 101) when the time duration exceeds a predefined value.

12. The system for improved utilization of a medical appliance as claimed in claim 11, in which the operating status comprises statements as to whether the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51) is occupied, occupied and activated, occupied but not activated and/or not occupied.

13. The system for improved utilization of a medical appliance as claimed in claim 11 or 12, in which the time during which the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51) is not used corresponds to the time during which the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51) is not occupied and/or the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51) is occupied but not activated.

14. The system for improved utilization of a medical appliance as claimed in one of claims 11 to 13, in which the central location (70) is assigned a database (75) in which data associated with the operating status can be stored.

15. The system for improved utilization of a medical appliance as claimed in one of claims 11 to 14, in which a supervisor (73) monitors the operating status at the central location (70) and informs the person (13, 61, 81, 91, 101), using the means (71, 77) for notification, when the time during which the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51) is not used exceeds the predefined value.

16. The system for improved utilization of a medical appliance as claimed in one of claims 11 to 15, in which the operating status can be displayed graphically.

17. The system for improved utilization of a medical appliance as claimed in one of claims 11 to 16, in which an evaluation device (71) is provided, which monitors the operating status and notifies the person (13, 61, 73, 81, 91, 101) when the time during which the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51) is not used exceeds the predefined value.

18. The system for improved utilization of a medical appliance as claimed in one of claims 11 to 17, in which the person (13, 43, 81, 91, 101) is associated with a ward (80), a research department (90), an operator organization of the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51), a hospital management (100) or is an operator (13, 43) of the medical appliance (11, 41).

19. The system for improved utilization of a medical appliance as claimed in one of claims 11 to 18, in which the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51) comprises the first computer (14, 22, 32, 42, 52).

20. The system for improved utilization of a medical appliance as claimed in one of claims 11 to 19, in which the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51) is an X-ray appliance (51), a computertomograph (21), a magnetic resonance appliance (11), an ultrasound appliance (31) or a lithotripter (41).

21. A medical appliance, having means (14, 22, 32, 42, 52) for determining whether the medical appliance (11, 21, 31, 41, 51) is occupied, occupied and activated, occupied but not activated and/or not occupied.

22. The medical appliance as claimed in claim 21, which is an X-ray appliance (51), a computertomograph (21), a magnetic resonance appliance (11), an ultrasound appliance (31) or a lithotripter (41).